Folding pocket-basket



D. E. LAWSON FOLDING POCKET BASKET.

No. 540,863. Patented June 11, 1895.

Q i1 .II N rm 1 M I A (No Mode-1.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

D. E. LAWSON.

FOLDING POCKET BASKET.

Patented June 11, 1895.

' cmmomuma, WASHINGTON D c UNITED STATES PATENT OEEroE.

DAVID EWAN LAWVSON, OF BRl-DGEPORT, ALABAMA.

FOLDI NG POCKET-BASKET.

seaetrrce'rrolv forming part of Letters Patent No. 540,863, dated June 11, 1895.

Application filed November 6, 1894. Serial No. 528,052. (No model.)

"To @ZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that l, DAVID EWAN LAWSON,

a citizen of the United States, residing at improve the construction of folding baskets,

and to provide a simple and inexpensive one,

which may be conveniently carried in the pocket when not in use.

The invention consists in the construction and novel combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and pointed out in the claims hereto appended.

In the drawings,Figure 1 isa perspective view of a folding basket constructed in accordance with this inventionand shown extended. Fig. 2 is a plan view, the basket being folded. Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view, the parts being arranged as illustrated in Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a similar View, the basket being partly folded. Fig. 5 is a reverse plan view.

Like numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures of the drawings.

1 and 2 designate sides and ends of a folding basket; and 3 designates sections of a folding bottom. The sides and ends are composed of pivoted bars or pieces arranged in the form of a lazy-tongs, and the bottom sections 3 are composed of similarly pivoted bars or pieces.

The adjacent ends of the bars of the lazytongs sides and ends of the basket, are pivotally connected by horizontally disposed substantially L-shaped upper and lower pintles at and 5, preferably having reduced terminals extended through the bars of the sides and ends of the basket, and riveted. The upper pintlest have attached to them hooks 6, with which are designed to be connected suitable handle straps, whereby the latter may be readily attached to, and removed from, the body of the basket.

The sides of the'body of the basket are provided at the bottom with curved vertically disposed pintles 7, engaging registering openings or perforations 8 of the adjacent ends of the bars of the sections 3 of the bottom, whereby the bottom sections are hingedly connected with the sides of thebasket, and are adapted to swing upward into a vertical position against the inner faces of the sides 1, to permit both lazy-tongs portions to fold simultaneously.

The vertically disposed curved pintles 7 are provided at their lower terminals with shanks 9, which are extended through the adjacent terminals of the bars of the lazy-tongs sides 1, serving'as the pivot for the bars.

When the sections 3 of the bottomare disposed horizontally in operative position, the ends 10 of the end bars are engaged with double hooks 11., disposed centrally at the bottom of the ends 2, whereby the sections 3 are supported and connected with the ends of the basket. Each double hook 11 has diverging portions for engaging perforations of the ends 10, and is provided with a single shank, which forms a' pivot for the adjacent ends of the bars of the ends 2 of the basket.

The basket is further supported by a folding brace 12, located beneath the bottom of the basket, and comprising a central circular plate 13, and four diagonally disposed rods 14:, provided at their outer terminals with eyes 15, engaging the substantially L-shaped bottom pintles 5. The inner ends of the diagonally-disposed rods are perforated, and are pivoted between perforated ears 16, disposed in pairs at the edges of the central plate. The brace is adapted to fold upward within the sides and ends of the basket, as clearly illustrated in Fig. 40f the accompanying drawings.

VVhen'it is desired to fold the basket the bottom sections are swung upward vertically against the sides 1, and the centrallyarranged plate is lifted, and the sides and ends of the basket fold compactly, as illustrated'in Fig. 2 of the accompanying drawings, thereby enabling a basket of considerable size, when extended, to be conveniently carried in the pocket, when not in use.

The basket may be constructed of any suitable material, and' may be made any desired size, and the improvements are applicable to the ordinary hand basket, as shown and also to clothes baskets, fruit baskets, and similar receptacles, and it will be readily apparent,

that a number of such baskets may be com pactly shipped when empty. It will also be seen that the basket is capable of being quickly folded, and extended for use, and that when arranged for use it is rigidly supported, and cannot collapse.

Changes in the form, proportion, and the minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the principle or sacrificing any of the advantages of this invention.

\Vhat I claim is- 1. A folding basket, comprising the lazytongs sides and ends, having the adjacent terminals of their bars pivotally connected at the corners of the basket, and a folding lazy-tongs bottom arranged to be swung upward, whereby it may be folded simultaneously with the sides, substantially as described.

2. A folding basket, comprising the lazytongs sides and ends pivotally connected at the corners of the basket, and a bottom composed of two lazy-tongs sections, each hinged to the bottoms of the sides, and arranged to swing upward against the inner faces of the sides, substantially as described.

3. In afolding basket, the combination of the lazy-tongs sides and ends, the folding bottom composed of two lazy-tongs sections hinged to the bottoms of the sides, and arranged to swing upward against the inner faces of the same, and a folding brace comprising a centrally arranged plate, and the rods located below the sections of the bottom and disposed diagonally, and extending from the plate to the lower corners of the basket and hingedly connected with the same, substantially as described.

4. In afolding basket, the combination of the lazy-tongs sides and ends, the double hooks arranged at the bottoms of the ends, and the upwardly swinging lazy-tongs bottom sections hinged to the bottoms of the sides, and provided at their ends with perforations arranged to engage the double hooks, substantially as described.

5. A folding basket, comprising the lazyton gs sides and ends, the horizontally disposed approximately L'shaped pintles arranged at the upper and lower corners of the basket and pivotally connecting the sides and ends, the vertically disposed curved pintles located at the bottoms of the sides of the basket, the lazy-tongs bottom sections provided with eyes receiving the curved pintles, and the folding brace located beneath the bottom of the hasket and comprising the centrally arranged plate, and the four diagonally-disposed rods hingedly connected with the plate and extending therefrom to the lower corners of the hasket, and provided with eyes receiving the lower corner pintles, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed mysignature in the presence of two witnesses.

DAVID EWAN LAWSON.

Witnesses:

CHAS. I-I. I-IoLMEs, J. A. KIGHT. 

